Q: You haven’t mentioned your cardio routine in a while. Are you still doing intervals on one day and steady state at the other each week?
A: Yes, I’m still doing S8 intervals on my recumbent bike, similar to the one pictured above…
Thanks to Vince McConnell’s recommendation, I’m now a fan of Phil Campbell’s Sprint 8 method, which is slow pedaling for 1 1/2 minutes followed by all-out pedaling for 30 seconds at an increased resistance level.
I do eight of those rounds, although in the beginning I could barely do four…
It took me over a month to progress to eight rounds—plus I’ve gradually increased the resistance on the sprints to level 14, so my lower-body fast-twitch fibers are getting pushed hard on the 30-second intervals…
That’s on Monday. On Friday I do a steady-state run for three miles followed by a half-mile cool-down walk.
One comment on cardio—it is just that: to train my cardiovascular system. I don’t do it to lose fat, although it does add to the calorie burn and enhances the effects of intermittent fasting, when I ramp that up for some extra leanness (see The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet”)…
A heightened cardiovascular system will protect your heart and also develop the capillary network to your muscles, particularly lower body, which will enhance your growth potential…
I believe you should do it year-round, no matter what your age. So many bodybuilders only use cardio when they’re trying to lean out, but integrating it in with your weight workouts twice a week shouldn’t interfere with muscle gains if you don’t overuse it…
In fact, it should help your gains by enhancing blood flow, improving mitochondria, and making you healthier and more fit…
One last thing: Before he passed, Mr. America/Mr. Universe Doug Brignole told me that he got leaner without any cardio whatsoever. That’s interesting, but incorporating cardio may have prolonged his life, as it’s been reported that heart disease was a major contributor in his death.
Bottom line: Weight training can only get you so much cardiovascular fitness, even with short rests between sets.
Latest Release: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
Are You Ready to Protect Your Family?
Mike Westerdal is a renowned personal trainer and national best-selling physical preparedness author, but he’s also a father and a husband… who would do anything to protect his family.
He used to get pushed around when younger and spent years building up his body and becoming stronger, getting mentally and physically tough the hard way. As he got bigger, he learned to handle himself, and working in security, he learned first-hand how violence really plays out.
Some of the other guys online who show off their self-defense videos and books need to get a grip. The level of skill needed to pull off their basic moves is CRAZY for most ordinary people.
If a defense system requires more than a few hours to master, it’s not a program.
The only techniques you will ever use are the simple ones.
They need to work for an ordinary person without prior training, technique, or ability.
So even if you think you don’t have time to learn how to defend yourself…
You don’t need to spend years training to be a martial artist.